Books make great gifts because of their high perceived value. Here's one that will help your sales team close more, and earn more: Top Dog Sales Secrets. Jeffrey Gitomer says, "One of these top dog secrets can earn you a fortune."
"It's like reading the best ideas from 50 sales books all in one book," says Michelle Nichols, Savvy Selling International.
Top Dog Sales Secrets belongs on the desk of every member of your sales team. You can still get copies in time for the holidays. When you order in bulk you receive a discount and free shipping. Click here for details.
Showing posts with label michelle nichols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label michelle nichols. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Laugh all the way to the bank!
"I've found that humor can be an effective tool for moving the sale along at almost every stage of the process," says sales speaker and BusinessWeek Online Columnist Michelle Nichols.
However, using humor doesn't mean going overboard and acting like a goofball warns Nichols. Adding appropriate levity to a situation can increase your likeableness, and help establish that critical connection with customers. As a result, customers will listen more closely, and if trouble erupts, they're more likely to cut you some slack.
Here's some of Nichols' advice for injecting some humor into your sales process:
Get personal. One of the most powerful sources of humor is stories from your own life. Personal stories are easier to remember, which makes it easier to tell them smoothly. A little self-deprecation never hurts. For example, if my prospects are parents, I might tell them about my daughter. When her junior high was having Career Day, I asked if she wanted me to speak, since not everyone's mom is a columnist and speaker. "Oh great, how exciting," she moaned. "Why can't you be a pharmacist, or something that doesn't sound so boring?"
Talk about price. I have an old Mr. Boffo cartoon subtitled "The further adventures of the Bargain Hunter," depicting a guy displaying "Ed's Tattoo Parlor" tattooed on his chest in giant letters, saying, "Guess who got a free tattoo?" My point is, what is the real value of "free?" When I quote prices, the biggest potential sticking point, I like to say, "Your total is a mere $43,837.46." That always gets a laugh, and helps prospects over the price shock - at least for a moment.
Finish strong. A la David Letterman, an original Top Ten list of funny reasons the customer should buy from you, or buy right now, is an unusual approach - and could seal a deal.
Humor will put your customers at ease and help make the sale. So have fun playing with Nichols' ideas.
A warning to the humor-challenged: these are just suggestions. If it doesn't feel right, hey - don't do it! Remember: with humor, a little goes a long way.
This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Michelle Nichols is a popular sales speaker, consultant and columnist for BusinessWeek Online. Visit her site at http://www.savvyselling.com.
However, using humor doesn't mean going overboard and acting like a goofball warns Nichols. Adding appropriate levity to a situation can increase your likeableness, and help establish that critical connection with customers. As a result, customers will listen more closely, and if trouble erupts, they're more likely to cut you some slack.
Here's some of Nichols' advice for injecting some humor into your sales process:
Get personal. One of the most powerful sources of humor is stories from your own life. Personal stories are easier to remember, which makes it easier to tell them smoothly. A little self-deprecation never hurts. For example, if my prospects are parents, I might tell them about my daughter. When her junior high was having Career Day, I asked if she wanted me to speak, since not everyone's mom is a columnist and speaker. "Oh great, how exciting," she moaned. "Why can't you be a pharmacist, or something that doesn't sound so boring?"
Talk about price. I have an old Mr. Boffo cartoon subtitled "The further adventures of the Bargain Hunter," depicting a guy displaying "Ed's Tattoo Parlor" tattooed on his chest in giant letters, saying, "Guess who got a free tattoo?" My point is, what is the real value of "free?" When I quote prices, the biggest potential sticking point, I like to say, "Your total is a mere $43,837.46." That always gets a laugh, and helps prospects over the price shock - at least for a moment.
Finish strong. A la David Letterman, an original Top Ten list of funny reasons the customer should buy from you, or buy right now, is an unusual approach - and could seal a deal.
Humor will put your customers at ease and help make the sale. So have fun playing with Nichols' ideas.
A warning to the humor-challenged: these are just suggestions. If it doesn't feel right, hey - don't do it! Remember: with humor, a little goes a long way.
This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Michelle Nichols is a popular sales speaker, consultant and columnist for BusinessWeek Online. Visit her site at http://www.savvyselling.com.
Friday, August 31, 2007
A Sales Lesson From Miss Teen USA
One of the most popular videos on the web right now is from this week's Miss Teen USA pageant. In the final round of competition, Miss South
It's painful to watch (just watch the video below), but doing the same thing in a sales presentation is just as painful - for the client.
"Information is like food: some is good, but too much is not necessarily better," explains Michelle Nichols, founder of Savvy Selling International and contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets. "When they ask you a question, respond with an overview, then ask what they'd like to know more about. For example, if you provide copying services and receive an inquiry, you could explain that you offer a wide variety of solutions, including A, B, and C. Then you might ask what copying services the prospect uses right now, and outline how your offerings are similar or different. Later, you might ask if he has ever considered using some of the services you offer that he didn't mention. Pace yourself."
So, next time you're tempted to recite your entire list of products, or list features until you're blue in the face, remember Michelle's advice or you too could end up on YouTube.
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